Whether you’re thinking about coming to Cardiff University or you’re already a student here, we want to ensure that we provide the best support for all our students. The University is proud to be a Stonewall Diversity Champion and welcomes LGBT+ students to Cardiff. We also understand that LGBT+ students may face different challenges at university and we have numerous services to support you.

Cardiff University is rated as one of the best universities for supporting LGBT+ students and staff by Stonewall’s Gay by Degree guide for prospective students and the Top 100 Workplace Equality Index (LGB Equality Employers Award) and . We are very proud of these achievements and strive to continue to improve the experience of our LGBT+ students. If there are any issues that you would like to raise, any further information that you would like, or would just like to get in touch please use one of the contact details below.

Some Frequently Asked Questions:

Does the University have a LGBT+ Student Society? Yes. The LGBT+ Societyis a very active student society that provides advice, support and arranges social events throughout the year. They hold a weekly coffee morning for members. Their website has lots of information including contact details and how to join their Facebook and Twitter pages.

Are staff at Cardiff University aware of the issues LGBT+ students and staff face? Cardiff University expects all our staff to be aware of LGBT+ equality issues and their own responsibilities in relation to equality and diversity. To facilitate staff understanding of this, we have a mandatory online training module that is compulsory for all staff to complete and additional classroom-based training for all staff with line manager or other relevant responsibilities (e.g. recruitment).

Equality and Diversity online training has also been developed for students and is available to at Cardiff University via the Equality and Diversity website

Does the University have a LGBT+ Staff Network? Yes. Enfys (which is Welsh for rainbow, pronounced “en-viss”, to reflect the “open” status of our membership) is our LGBT+ Staff Network. It has about 70 members and organises and takes part in events for LGBT History Month, IDAHO (International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia) and Cardiff Mardi Gras (Cardiff Pride). In recognition of the work it does it has this year been awarded a Star Performer Network Group award by Stonewall.

2013 also sees the launch of the Friends of Enfys scheme. This is where staff who are not members of the network but who want to show their support for what Enfys stands for and strives to achieve display notices on their office doors to say “I’m a Friend of Enfys”. Friends of Enfys currently has around 60 members.

What if I am being bullied or harassed because of my sexual orientation or my gender identity? The student experience is very important to Cardiff University and we aim to provide a welcoming and supportive place for each and every student. Cardiff University takes complaints of harassment and bullying very seriously. If you do experience bullying, harassment or other unacceptable behaviour in relation to your sexual orientation (or perceived sexual orientation, or because of the sexual orientation of any of your friends, family etc) it is important that you report this. The University has a Sexual Orientation Policy that applies to all staff and students which specifically protects against harassment, bullying and victimisation on the basis of sexual orientation. The University’s Dignity at Work & Study Policy outlines procedures and support for what happens if harassment/bullying occurs. The University also has guidelines for supporting trans staff and students.

What do you do to make sure that students know about the way they are expected to behave towards each other? The University has developed a Student Charter that outlines how our students should behave appropriately, treating fellow students, staff and the local community with dignity, courtesy and respect at all times.

Is there specific information on the support we offer our LGBT+ students? Information is available online that covers many aspects of support available including:

Student Services: The Student Support Centre has a range of services dedicated to helping you to make the most of student life. The staff at the Student Support Centres are here to offer confidential advice and support when you need it.

Your first point of contact with the Student Support Centre will be through one of our Enquiry Point Advisers at either of our Cathays or Heath Park Centres. They may be able to answer your query straight away, or point you in the right direction to get the information you need, from a meeting with an adviser or counsellor either at one of our drop-in sessions, or via an appointment if necessary.More information

Counselling: Support for new and current students, including: one-to-one, email and telephone counselling, workshops, self-help books and much more.More information

Sexual Health Information: The Students’ Union run a number of awareness raising campaigns surrounding various sexual health issues. There are a lot of information leaflets from the Terrance Higgins Trust. Additionally, there are services provided by the Sexual Health Awareness Group (SHAG), which is a student run service that covers sexual health.

Does the University monitor LGBT+ student data? From the academic year of 2013-14, Cardiff University will include an optional monitoring question as part of the student enrolment process asking about sexual orientation. This question will be asked to provide information to the University about how we can aim to better tailor our services to LGBT+ students and aim to address any issues in terms of applications from LGBT+ students and satisfaction levels of current students (please see the Stonewall guide on why monitoring data is collected for further information). Any personal data collected will be handled and protected in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. The University is a registered Data Controller with the Information Commissioners Office (Reg no Z6549747). The data provided may be published internally and externally as part of a wider set of statistical returns which will be sufficiently anonymised to ensure that no individuals can be identified. Further information is available in the University's Strategic Equality Plan.

What if I experience a Hate Crime? Cardiff University takes Hate Crime very seriously and highly encourages them to be reported. You can report a Hate Crime as a victim or as a third party witness to an incident that has taken place. You do not have give any personal details if you do not want to but we would still urge you to report any incidents of Hate Crime anonymously if you do not wish for any investigation to take place. You can report Hate Crimes to The Student Union, Safer Wales or South Wales Police.

Does the University put on events for LGBT+ staff and students? Yes. Every year we put on events for LGBT History Month and IDAHOT - International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia . The University also had a presence at Cardiff Gras this year and will be looking to repeat this in future. Cardiff University were proud to fly the rainbow flag for LGBT History Month during February this year.

Keep an eye on thestudent andstaff network pages and onTwitter andFacebook for information on all the events that we have held and more that we have coming up. We welcome input from students in developing and organising these events, so if you are interested please contact the LGBT+ Officer, at the Student Union.

How does the University engage with the wider LGBT+ community and prospective students?

Cardiff University works in partnership with other Universities and local organisations on many of our LGBT+ events. Many of our events e.g. LGBT+ History Month, are open for members of the public to attend.

We also aim to promote local and national LGBT+ events and activities e.g. The ‘ Best of Iris’ film festival, Stonewall’s ‘Talent Programme’ via our web pages and electronic notice board. This year the University will sponsor the Iris Prize Youth Jury 2014 . Ten young people (aged 14-17) will be invited to be members of Youth Jury. The participants will have an unprecedented opportunity to develop their creative skills as well as allowing the next generation direct access to positive LGBT role models within the film industry.

Cardiff University and the Students’ Union has been involved in the Pride Cymru in recent years as a way of promoting our commitment to LGB equality, including to prospective students and the wider public. The Widening Access and Recruitment Office engages with schools in Wales (usually years 10 and 11) on an on-going basis to give a general ‘Introduction to University’ presentation. As part of this presentation we provide a signpost to the Student Union’s LGBT+ Society as well as other sources of advice and support.

Cardiff University Students’ Union LGBT+ Association has taken part in a number of community activities this year. They regularly engage with other Universities, particularly those in the South Wales area. This can be in the form of running joint socials, or supporting them in running their own campaigns. Cardiff University Students’ Union LGBT+ Association takes part in a wide variety of events in the local community, from Mardi Gras (Cardiff Pride) to conferences and community forums (such as the Cardiff and Vale LGBT Hate Crime focus group). In addition to these events, a number of Association members have recently attended training events delivered by Elly Barnes, of ‘Schools Out’, and are in the process of building relationships with schools in order from September 2013 to go into local schools and talk to the students about LGBT matters, and deliver workshops. Cardiff University students are also involved with the national organisation Sexpression. Our branch is made up of volunteer healthcare students who are trained to deliver high quality sex education at local secondary schools. Our sessions range from puberty to STIs and everything in between! We run a relationships session for year 10s, which includes a section on sexuality. Additionally, all our sessions from year 7 upwards avoid a heteronormative stance and cover all aspects of sexual health related to LGBT relationships.

How does the University consult with LGBT+ students?

The University has an LGBT+ working group which is co-chaired by the LGBT+ Officer of the Students' Union and the Chair of Enfys (the staff LGBT+ network). Students's concerns, activities and priorities are raised at this group which reports directly to the University's Equality and Diversity Committee. When the working group was established a comprehensive questionnaire was run to inform the priorities of the group. If students would like to feed in information/concerns to this group please contact the LGBT+ Officer at the SU.

What specific welfare provision is there for LGBT+ students? If you need some help or support there are lots of places you can get it from. One of the services provided is the Student Services Counselling Team where they provide a safe and confidential place to explore issues related to identity or any sexual problems you may be experiencing. Counsellors can also help you to find other specific support if this is relevant. Our sexuality and sexual identity is a central and important part of who we are and how we relate to others. If you have questions or are experiencing difficulties around your sexuality, are uncertain about your own sexual identity or orientation or simply want to make social connections there are a range of resources in Cardiff and beyond.

Cardiff University Students’ Union LGBT+ Association can offer advice, support or information about the social scene in Cardiff for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people. They can also tell you about current Student Union campaigns and social events.

The Chaplaincy Team, based at 61 and 62 Park Place, also have good links with the LGBT+ student community. We offer a welcoming, inclusive and diverse Chaplaincy, encompassing a variety of views and thinking about God and the world in which we live.

The Chaplaincy is here for students of any faith, and of no faith; they are here for all students and are welcoming to the LGBT+ student community. Whether you are looking to make new friends, for a bit of support through a particular problem, or to explore issues of faith and sexuality, you will find a warm and friendly welcome at the Chaplaincy at Cardiff University.

For advice from an external organisation, Stonewall is a national campaigning and lobbying organisation who can provide advice and support on all sorts of topics relating to sexual orientation and gender identity.

Isthe University a Stonewall Diversity Champion? The Stonewall Diversity Champions Programme is a good practice network of organisations that work together to ensure that they create a working environment where everyone is able to be themselves. Cardiff University has been a Stonewall Diversity Champion for a number of years and we have also been ranked as the 24th best employer in the UK in Stonewall’s annual Workplace Equality Index.

In terms of universities, we are 2nd in the whole of the UK.

The University was also awarded a perfect score of 10/10 by Gay by Degree Guide to Universities in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

How can LGBT+ students contribute to decisions that affect students at Cardiff University and how does the University consult with LGBT+ students? It is important that you have influence over the decisions that affect you and your education and the University encourages students to tell us how we can improve our services. The University has an LGBT+ working group which is co-chaired by the LGBT+ Officer of the Students' Union and the Chair of Enfys (the staff LGBT+ network). Students' concerns, activities and priorities are raised at this group which reports directly to the University's Equality and Diversity Committee. The Equality and Diversity Committee feeds into the University Council which has the power to act on issues raised and instigate change within the University.When the working group was established a comprehensive questionnaire was run to inform the priorities of the group.

If you have anything you would like raised at either the LGBT+ Working Group or Equality and Diversity committee, please contact the Student Union LGBT+ Officer.

What sort of Careers Advice can you offer LGBT+ students? The Careers and Employability Service at Cardiff University is committed to the ideals and practice of Equality and Diversity in all aspects of its work. They have gathered useful resources around Equality and Diversity with specific reference to communities of students and graduates who may be concerned about specific challenges in the job market. The Careers Service has specific information on their web pages aimed at LGBT+ students, which you can find here .

The Careers and Employability Service is based on the 2nd floor of 50 Park Place (Student Support Centre). A dedicated team of Career Consultants and other professionals aim to offer all students a fair and equal service regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. We also offer additional support to students who may benefit from extra help. Confidential and impartial career consultations can be booked with specialist Career Consultants in your field of study.

The Careers Service advertises upcoming Diversity and LGBT+ Careers Fairs to all students including the national Diversity Careers Show . Stonewall's 'Starting Out Guide' , the first national guide for students and job-switchers wanting to find a gay-friendly employer features Cardiff University as an employer and is available in the Student Services Centre, or you can download it from the website .